Kansas cornerback Jalen Todd waited a long time for his first career interception.
The junior, a Detroit native, has been playing frequently ever since he served as a nickel back and occasional reserve on the outside as a true freshman in 2024. He has spent each of the last two seasons as KU’s No. 1 corner, filing that role at quite a high level.
But until Saturday, he had never picked off a pass — and in fact no KU cornerback had done so since Mello Dotson at BYU on Nov. 16, 2024.
Then Utah quarterback Devon Dampier, in something of an overeager attempt to challenge the Jayhawks prior to halftime, lofted an underthrown ball over the top of the defense for receiver Braden Pegan. Todd stumbled to the ground as the pass approached but was able to make the catch from his knees — as he recalled on Tuesday, he was thinking, “It’s my ball” — helping KU maintain its momentum and add another field goal in the final seconds of the second quarter.
“He was running the post and I seen it was coming a little low,” Todd recalled. “It was kind of like a short throw, so I kind of like fell, and then I was like, ‘Oh, the ball right there.'”
The exhilarating feeling of intercepting a pass was one he had not experienced since high school, and as he returned to the sideline, he couldn’t help but think, “I got to get more of those for sure.”
“Hopefully that’s many more to come for him, but it’s a really great example of a young man who put in the work and then he got the payoff on the field,” defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald said.
Much of that work unfolded behind the scenes, as McDonald explained. Catching doesn’t necessarily come naturally to Todd, McDonald said, but before the start of practice he joins defensive backs coach Brandon Shelby in working with the punt returners to track down punts, so he can get better at following the ball.
“And he’s been doing that since camp, and he’s become a better guy at judging deep balls,” McDonald said. “It’s probably one of the proudest moments I’ve had as a coach to see a guy who is not a natural ball catcher, all the work that he has done pay off in a moment like that.”
As Todd puts it, he’s usually in a good position when the quarterback makes the throw, but he’s had to work on getting his head around.
Whatever the case, it’s just another axis of development for one of the steadier players on KU’s defense, one who is also an increasingly prominent leader in the secondary.
“I took a big step talking to the guys,” Todd said. “All throughout high school, I was just a quiet guy going out there, just played and just did my job.”
Doing his job could go a long way this Saturday as the Jayhawks look to snap their longtime losing streak against rival Kansas State. Todd is part of the small minority of Jayhawks with experience in multiple Sunflower Showdowns, including the heartbreaking loss in 2024 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, where KU will return this Saturday at 11 a.m.
“I’d say the little things, you know, special teams … This past couple years, it’s just the little things we have to clean up,” Todd said.
Kansas cornerback Jalen Todd (1) brings down Missouri running back Jamal Roberts (20) on a run during the third quarter on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
Nick Krug/Journal-World